A monitoring device for pneumothorax

Abstract

The application relates to a monitoring device for pneumothorax, comprising: a drainage bottle comprising a bottle body and a bottle cap; a catheter extending through the bottle cap to the bottom of the bottle body, the upper end of the catheter being connected to a drainage tube to drain liquid and / or gas in the chest cavity of a patient into the bottle body; a camera arranged on one side of the drainage bottle to acquire images; an image processing unit connected to the camera to receive the images and process the images to identify the liquid level in the catheter and the liquid level in the bottle body and generate corresponding liquid level height data signals; and a signal processor connected to the image processing unit to output the height difference between the liquid level in the catheter and the liquid level in the bottle body according to the liquid level height data signals in the catheter and the liquid level height data signals in the bottle body. The device can be used for pneumothorax treatment and assists medical staff in monitoring the pressure in the pleural cavity and the treatment effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application generally relates to the field of medical devices, and more particularly to a monitoring device for pneumothorax, which can be used for pneumothorax monitoring, for example, to assist medical personnel in monitoring intrapleural pressure and treatment effectiveness. Background Technology

[0002] The pleural cavity (or simply pleural cavity) is composed of the parietal and visceral pleura and is a closed space that does not contain air. When the pleura is damaged due to trauma or lung disease, air can enter the pleural cavity, causing pneumothorax. For example, in a traffic accident causing lung injury, air may enter the pleural cavity through the site of lung injury. Bleeding or effusion from the lungs or other internal organs or tissues, or pus, may also accumulate in the pleural cavity, leading to increased intrapleural pressure, compressing internal organs, and causing various bodily dysfunctions. Therefore, it is necessary to drain excess air and / or fluid from the pleural cavity to restore it to its normal negative pressure state.

[0003] Currently, the main treatments for pneumothorax are thoracentesis and closed thoracic drainage, both of which work by draining air from the pleural cavity. Drainage bottles are commonly used medical devices for treating pneumothorax, draining excess gas or fluid from the pleural cavity to reduce intrapleural pressure. However, existing drainage bottles are simple in structure and have limited function. They are typically made of rigid glass or plastic, or in the form of a soft plastic bag, to hold various fluids drained from the patient, such as pleural effusion, pus, and blood. However, drainage bottles do not provide information about the intrapleural pressure. To determine the intrapleural pressure, a pressure sensor needs to be installed in the drainage tube inserted into the patient's chest cavity, which is complex and costly. Furthermore, manual monitoring of the drainage process by medical staff is required, such as changing the drainage bottle when necessary and preventing unexpected events such as internal bleeding during drainage. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a monitoring device for pneumothorax, which can be used for pneumothorax monitoring and real-time monitoring of the treatment process and intrapleural pressure status (i.e., treatment effect). In some preferred embodiments, it can provide real-time alarms for various abnormal conditions.

[0005] According to an exemplary embodiment, a monitoring device for pneumothorax is provided, comprising: a drainage bottle including a bottle body and a cap located on the upper part of the bottle body; a catheter extending vertically through the cap, the lower end of the catheter extending to near the bottom of the bottle body, and the upper end of the catheter extending above the cap and for connection to a drainage tube, the drainage tube for draining fluid and / or gas from a patient's pleural cavity into the bottle body; a camera disposed on one side of the drainage bottle for acquiring an image of the drainage bottle; an image processing unit connected to the camera for receiving the image and processing the image to identify the fluid level in the catheter and the fluid level in the bottle body, and generating a corresponding fluid level height data signal; and a signal processor connected to the image processing unit for outputting a height difference between the fluid level in the catheter and the fluid level in the bottle body based on the fluid level height data signal in the catheter and the fluid level height data signal in the bottle body.

[0006] In one example, the monitoring device for pneumothorax further includes: a first comparison circuit connected to the signal processor to receive the height difference, compare the height difference with a first threshold, and issue a first indication signal indicating the comparison result; and an alarm unit connected to the first comparison circuit to receive the first indication signal and issue an alarm signal based on the first indication signal.

[0007] In one example, the bottle cap also includes a vent, such that the air pressure inside the bottle is equal to atmospheric pressure.

[0008] In one example, before drainage begins, the drainage bottle contains a base fluid, and the lower end of the conduit extends below the surface of the base fluid to be sealed by the base fluid.

[0009] In one example, the monitoring device for pneumothorax further includes: a second comparison circuit connected to the image processing unit to receive a height value data signal of the liquid level in the bottle, and compares the height value with a second threshold, and generates a second indication signal indicating the comparison result when the height value is greater than or equal to the second threshold; and the alarm unit is also connected to the second comparison circuit to receive the second indication signal and issue an alarm signal in response to the second indication signal.

[0010] In one example, the monitoring device for pneumothorax further includes a frame for accommodating the drainage bottle, the frame having a bottom wall, a plurality of side walls surrounding an internal space for accommodating the drainage bottle, and a top wall covering the drainage bottle while exposing only the bottle cap, the camera being mounted on a first side wall of the plurality of side walls to capture images of a first side of the drainage bottle, and the camera being spaced a predetermined distance from the first side.

[0011] In one example, the monitoring device for pneumothorax also includes one or more lighting devices disposed within the frame for illuminating the drainage bottle.

[0012] In one example, a guide rail is formed on the inner wall of at least one sidewall of the frame to guide the drainage bottle to be placed in a predetermined position within the frame, thereby spacing it from the camera by a predetermined distance.

[0013] In one example, an observation window is formed on the second sidewall of the frame adjacent to or opposite to the first sidewall, through which the capacity markings on the second side of the drainage bottle and the tubing in the drainage bottle are exposed.

[0014] In one example, the bottom wall, multiple side walls, and top wall of the frame are all made of opaque material, and the viewing window is covered with a one-way light-transmitting film, so that light inside the frame can be transmitted to the outside, while external light cannot enter the interior of the frame.

[0015] In one example, the frame is generally rectangular.

[0016] In one example, the monitoring and treatment device for pneumothorax also includes a display screen disposed on one side wall of the frame or separately from the frame and connected to the image processing unit for displaying drainage status information determined by the image processing unit.

[0017] In one example, the alarm unit includes an LED light or a buzzer.

[0018] According to some implementations, the drainage bottle uses a base fluid to seal the pleural cavity from the outside. As the lung expands, air (and possibly fluid) from the pleural cavity is expelled, thus completing the treatment of pneumothorax. The monitoring device of this application can determine the real-time status of the intrapleural pressure based on the drainage process, and can also monitor information such as drainage volume, flow rate, and color, displaying this information on a screen or transmitting it to the patient and medical staff in the form of alarms. For example, the drainage device can issue an alarm signal to indicate whether the intrapleural pressure has reached the desired negative pressure state, and can also issue an alarm when the drainage fluid reaches its maximum volume to remind medical staff to replace the drainage bottle, etc. Therefore, the monitoring and treatment device for pneumothorax of this application can realize the automatic monitoring of pneumothorax treatment and the treatment process, reducing the workload of medical staff.

[0019] The above and other features and advantages of the drainage device of this application will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1A schematic diagram of a drainage bottle for chest drainage according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0021] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a monitoring device for pneumothorax according to an embodiment of this application is shown, which includes... Figure 1 The drainage bottle and the frame used to hold the drainage bottle are shown.

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a monitoring device for pneumothorax according to an embodiment of this application is shown, which mainly shows the frame portion.

[0023] Figure 4A and Figure 4B A schematic diagram of an observation window on a frame for accommodating a drainage bottle, according to an embodiment of this application, is shown.

[0024] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a processing circuit disposed in a frame according to an embodiment of the present application is shown.

[0025] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of an image processing unit in a processing circuit according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0026] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a monitoring device for pneumothorax according to another embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Exemplary embodiments of the present application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals generally represent the same parts. It should be understood that the dimensions and sizes of the parts shown in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. They may differ from those shown herein for implementation.

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a drainage bottle 110 for chest drainage according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 1 As shown, the drainage bottle 110 includes a bottle body 112, which can be formed from transparent materials such as glass or plastic, and can be formed into various shapes to contain drainage fluid, such as having a generally rectangular, square, circular, or elliptical cross-section. The upper part of the bottle body 112 has a bottle cap 114 covering the bottle opening. Figure 1The bottle cap 114 is shown as a stopper, but it can also be formed in other forms, such as a screw-on cap that tightens onto the bottle neck. A conduit 116 extends vertically through the bottle cap 114, with its lower end extending to near the bottom of the bottle body 112 and its upper end extending above the bottle cap 114 for connection to a drainage tube (not shown). The conduit 116 is also formed of a transparent material such as glass or plastic, and preferably of a rigid material to facilitate connection to the drainage tube and measurement of the fluid level in the tube, which will be described in detail later. The drainage tube can be formed of a soft material such as flexible plastic, with one end connected to the conduit 116 and the other end inserted into the patient's chest cavity to perform the drainage procedure. In one embodiment, a vent 118 may also be formed on the bottle cap 114 to allow the air pressure in the bottle body 112 to be the same as the external atmospheric pressure.

[0029] Continue to refer to Figure 1 Before drainage, the bottle 112 can contain a certain amount of base fluid 101. Base fluid 101 can be, for example, physiological saline, or other liquids with gas washing or waste gas absorption functions; its specific composition is not limited here. The lower end of the catheter 116 extends to near the bottom of the bottle 112 and is covered by the base fluid 101, thus sealing the lower end of the catheter 116 with the base fluid 101, also known as a liquid seal. This isolates the environment within the patient's pleural cavity from the external environment. In one embodiment, a volume mark 113 can also be formed on the bottle 112, and the volume mark 113 is preferably formed near the catheter 116. The volume mark 113 indicates the volume of drainage fluid contained in the bottle 112, for example, in milliliters (ml). Dividing the volume value by the cross-sectional area of ​​the bottle 112 further yields the liquid level value. Therefore, the liquid level in the bottle 112 and the liquid level in the catheter 116 can be determined based on the volume mark 113, which will be described in further detail below. In another embodiment, the capacity mark 113 may also display the liquid level height, for example in millimeters, which, when multiplied by the cross-sectional area of ​​the bottle body 112, can further give the volume of the drainage fluid.

[0030] The drainage bottle 110 of this application can be placed in a frame 120, so that the drainage bottle 110 and the frame 120 together form the monitoring device 100 for pneumothorax of this application. Figure 2 As shown. The specific operation and function of the monitoring device 100 for pneumothorax will be described in detail later. Here, please refer to... Figure 2The frame 120 may include a bottom wall, multiple side walls, and a top wall, surrounding an internal space that accommodates the drainage bottle 110. The bottom wall and multiple side walls may be integrally formed, for example, by injection molding or blow molding. The top wall may be movable or removable, so that after the drainage bottle 110 is placed into the frame 120, the top wall is closed, exposing only the cap 114 of the drainage bottle 110 and its conduit 116 and vent 118. The bottom wall, side walls, and top wall of the frame 120 may be formed of opaque materials such as metal, plastic, ceramic, wood, etc., so as not to expose the drainage bottle 110 contained therein. An observation window 121 may be formed on one side wall of the frame 120, and a guide rail 129 may be formed on one or more inner walls of the frame 120, so that when the drainage bottle 110 is placed inside the frame 120, the drainage bottle 110 is fixed in a predetermined space, so that the capacity mark 113 on the bottle body 112 and the conduit 116 of the drainage bottle 110 are exposed through the observation window 121, thereby making it possible to see the liquid level in the bottle body 112 and the liquid level in the conduit 116.

[0031] Reference Figure 3 The figure illustrates the frame structure of a pneumothorax monitoring device according to an embodiment of this application. In this embodiment, the frame 120 can be integrally rectangular to accommodate the drainage bottle 110 and other auxiliary components or equipment. As shown, the top wall and one side wall panel (with an observation window 121 formed thereon) of the frame 120 can be integrally formed as the first part of the frame, while the bottom wall and other side walls can also be integrally formed as the second part of the frame. After the drainage bottle and auxiliary components are placed in the internal space of the frame, the first part of the frame 120 can be fixed to the second part by means of clips, screws, etc., to form a whole. The top wall is provided with an opening to facilitate the upward extension of the catheter 116 and its connection with the drainage tube (e.g., through a T-shaped connector), and the side wall panel is provided with an observation window 121 to facilitate observation of the drainage situation.

[0032] return Figure 2 A camera 122 may be installed on the side wall of the frame 120 adjacent to or opposite the side wall where the observation window 121 is formed. An illumination device 123, such as an LED light, may be installed on one or more inner walls of the frame 120, so that when the illumination device 123 illuminates the drainage bottle 110, the camera 122 can image the side of the drainage bottle. A predetermined distance may be spaced between the camera 122 and the drainage bottle 110 so that the camera 122 can see a sufficient portion of the side of the drainage bottle 110. Although... Figure 2Only one lighting device 123 is shown; however, it should be understood that multiple lighting devices 123 can be arranged in different locations to adequately illuminate the drainage bottle 110 without creating shadows. Preferably, the lighting device 123 emits white light so as not to affect the color of the drainage fluid contained in the drainage bottle 110. As previously described, the frame 120 is formed of an opaque material, while the observation window 121 may include a transparent material such as glass or transparent plastic, and the observation window 121 may be covered with a one-way light-transmitting film, so that light inside the frame 120 can be transmitted to the outside through the observation window 121, while external ambient light cannot be transmitted into the frame 120 through the observation window 121. In this embodiment, the frame 120 forms a black box structure, preventing external ambient light from illuminating the inside of the frame 120, thus preventing external ambient light from illuminating the drainage fluid and changing the image color of the drainage fluid.

[0033] In one embodiment, continue to refer to Figure 2 The frame 120 may also include a battery compartment 124 for installing batteries, which can power various electronic devices installed within the frame 120. In another embodiment, the frame 120 may also receive power by connecting to a power outlet via a cable with a plug. The frame 120 may also include a processing circuit 125, which may be arranged, for example, on a printed circuit board. The processing circuit 125 can process the images of the drainage bottle captured by the camera 122, as will be described in detail below. Based on the image processing results, the processing circuit 125 can trigger an alarm circuit 126 to issue a corresponding alarm signal, which will also be discussed in detail below. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the alarm circuit 126 may include multiple LED indicators 127, such as indicators of different colors to indicate different states, or may include a buzzer 128 that can emit different sound signals to send an alarm. Alternatively, the aforementioned processing circuit 125, alarm circuit 126, and LED indicators 127 may also be separately disposed from the frame 120. For example, these electronic devices may be integrated with a monitoring display screen (also described below) to form a standalone monitoring device, which is connected to a camera in the frame 120 via a cable to receive the acquired image signals.

[0034] Figure 4A and Figure 4B A schematic diagram of the observation window 121 is shown, in which... Figure 4A This illustrates the early stages of pneumothorax treatment. Figure 4B This shows the final stage of pneumothorax treatment. First refer to... Figure 4AInitially, during thoracic drainage, the intrathoracic pressure is high, and gas or fluid is drained into the drainage bottle 110 through the drainage tube. During drainage, the catheter 116 fills with drainage fluid, making it impossible to determine the fluid level in the catheter 116. After the fluid is drained, if the intrathoracic pressure remains higher than atmospheric pressure, the fluid level L2 in the catheter 116 will be lower than the fluid level L1 in the bottle 112. Two scenarios are possible: First, the drainage fluid is relatively clear, allowing observation of the fluid level in the catheter 116. In this case, the height difference ΔL1 = L2 - L1 between the fluid level L2 in the catheter 116 and L1 in the bottle 112 is negative. Second, the drainage fluid is relatively turbid, making it impossible to observe the fluid level in the catheter 116. In this case, the height difference ΔL1 between the fluid level L2 in the catheter 116 and L1 in the bottle 112 can be considered zero. In other words, in the early stages of pneumothorax treatment, the air pressure inside the pleural cavity is greater than atmospheric pressure, causing the fluid level in catheter 116 to be lower than or equal to the fluid level in bottle 112.

[0035] Continue to refer to Figure 4B After some excess gas and / or fluid is drained from the pleural cavity through pleural drainage, as the treatment progresses normally, the patient's bodily functions gradually return to normal, the excess gas or fluid in the pleural cavity is gradually absorbed, and the pleural cavity gradually returns to a normal negative pressure state. At this time, if... Figure 4B As shown, the liquid level L2 in catheter 116 becomes higher than the liquid level L1 in bottle 112, meaning the height difference ΔL2 = L2 - L1 has a positive value. By measuring the magnitude of the height difference ΔL2, the intrathoracic pressure level can be calculated. If the height difference ΔL2 is large enough, indicating that a sufficient negative pressure level has been established in the thoracic cavity, the drainage process can be stopped.

[0036] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates a processing circuit 130 disposed within or separately from a frame 120 according to an embodiment of this application. The processing circuit 130 may be implemented as follows: Figure 2 The processing circuit 125 shown is as follows. Figure 5 As shown, the processing circuit 130 may include an image processing unit 132, a signal processor 134, a first comparison circuit 136, and a second comparison circuit 138. The image processing unit 132 is connected to the camera 122 and can receive images of the drainage bottle from the camera 122. It performs image recognition processing to determine the liquid level L2 in the conduit 116 and the liquid level L1 in the bottle 112, and generates corresponding data signals for the liquid levels L2 and L1. The signal processor 134 is connected to the image processing unit 132 and can determine and output the liquid level difference ΔL = L2 - L1 between the two based on the liquid level data signals in the conduit 116 and the bottle 112.

[0037] In one embodiment, the image processing unit 132 may be an image processor or a controller with image processing capabilities. It may have a hardware structure or be implemented using a combination of hardware and software. For example, those skilled in the art can integrate some hardware circuits and general-purpose software programs or algorithms into the image processing unit 132. By running or executing the software programs and / or modules within the image processing unit 132, the image processing function of identifying and determining the liquid level in the conduit 116 and the liquid level in the bottle 112 can be performed.

[0038] Figure 6 The structure of an image processing unit 140 according to one embodiment is shown. The image processing unit 140 can be implemented as follows: Figure 5 The image processing unit 132 is shown in the figure. As shown, the image processing unit 140 may include components such as an interface 142, a processor 144, and a memory 146. These components can communicate with each other via a data bus. The interface 142 can be used to connect the image processing unit 140 to other devices such as a camera 122, for example, via a USB interface. The processor 144 can be any type of general-purpose processor or special-purpose processor. General-purpose processors include, but are not limited to, central processing units (CPUs), and special-purpose processors include, but are not limited to, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The memory 146 can be any type of storage device or computer-readable medium, such as random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM), on which image recognition programs or algorithms executed by the processor 142 can be stored. By executing the program or algorithm, the processor 144 can perform image processing functions to identify and determine the liquid level height in the conduit 116 and the liquid level height in the bottle 112.

[0039] For example, the received image of the drainage bottle is first converted to grayscale mode, then median filtering is applied to enhance the liquid level information in the image. The processed image is then subjected to edge enhancement processing to extract the liquid surface in the conduit 116 and the liquid level line in the bottle 112. Based on the pixel coordinates or corresponding scale information of the liquid surface and liquid level line, the liquid level height in the conduit 116 and the liquid level height in the bottle 112 can be calculated. It is understood that the above-mentioned median filtering, edge enhancement, and other image processing techniques are conventional algorithms in the field and can be implemented using general software programs and algorithms. It is also understood that the above processing algorithms are merely examples and not limitations. Those skilled in the art can also use convolutional neural network image processing algorithms to recognize and process the acquired images to obtain liquid level height data and drainage information such as the presence of air bubbles in the drainage fluid.

[0040] The signal processor 134 can perform conventional numerical calculations based on the received liquid level data signal and the liquid level data signal in the bottle 112 to obtain the difference between the two. For example, the signal processor 134 can be implemented as a conventional subtractor circuit. Similar to the image processing unit 132, the signal processor 134 can have a hardware structure or be implemented in combination with software. Its calculation module can be a general-purpose processor such as a central processing unit (CPU), or a processor or controller such as an MCU, DSP, or FPGA. This application does not make specific limitations in this regard.

[0041] Understandable, although Figure 5 The image processing unit 132 and the signal processor 134 are shown separately, but since the functions of both can be implemented by processors or controllers conventional in the art, they can also be integrated into a single unit.

[0042] In one embodiment, the first comparison circuit 136 can be connected to the signal processor 134 and receive the liquid level difference ΔL = L2 - L1 between the liquid level L2 in the catheter 116 and the liquid level L1 in the bottle 112 from the signal processor 134. It then compares this liquid level difference ΔL with a predetermined threshold, thereby outputting a first indication signal indicating the comparison result. For example, the first comparison circuit 136 can be implemented as a comparator. The first indication signal can be high-level to indicate that the liquid level difference ΔL is greater than or equal to the threshold, indicating that the negative pressure in the patient's pleural cavity is sufficiently high, i.e., a normal negative pressure level has been reached, and therefore the drainage process can be terminated. A low-level signal indicates that the liquid level difference ΔL is less than the threshold, indicating that the desired negative pressure state has not been successfully established in the patient's pleural cavity, and pleural drainage treatment still needs to continue. The first comparison circuit 136 can send the first indication signal to the alarm circuit 126, which can issue an alarm signal in response to the first indication signal. For example, a first alarm signal is issued in response to a high level of the output to remind the patient or medical staff to end the drainage process, and a second alarm signal is issued in response to a low level of the first indicator signal to remind the patient or medical staff to continue the drainage process. In one embodiment, the first alarm signal and the second alarm signal can be LED light signals of different colors, or one of the first alarm signal and the second alarm signal can be an LED light signal and the other can be an audible signal emitted by a buzzer.

[0043] In one embodiment, the second comparison circuit 138 can be connected to the image processing unit 132 and receive the data signal of the liquid level value L1 in the bottle 112 separately from the image processing unit 132, and compare the liquid level value L1 with a predetermined threshold. If the liquid level value L1 is greater than or equal to the threshold, it indicates that the drainage fluid is about to fill the drainage bottle 110. At this time, the second comparison circuit 136 can send a second indication signal to the alarm circuit 126. In response to the second indication signal, the alarm circuit 126 can issue a third alarm signal to remind the patient or medical staff to replace the drainage bottle 110 immediately. Similarly, the third alarm signal can be a light signal or a sound signal, preferably a sound signal.

[0044] In some embodiments, the image processing unit 132 can also identify other drainage attributes or characteristics, such as the color of the drainage fluid, flow rate, and bubbles formed by the drained gas in the drainage bottle 110. For example, the color of the drainage fluid can determine whether the drainage process is normal. Drainage fluid is generally transparent or pale yellow, while if the drainage fluid is bright red like blood, it indicates that the patient may have internal bleeding and needs immediate treatment. As another example, when a patient coughs, the chest cavity contracts, which may expel gas and form bubbles on the surface of the drainage fluid. Therefore, detecting bubbles can indicate that the air pressure in the patient's chest cavity has not yet reached the desired negative pressure level, and the drainage process cannot be terminated at this time, and so on. The image processing unit 132 can also calculate the flow rate based on the change in drainage volume over time. The relevant information determined by image processing can be presented to medical personnel in various ways, such as corresponding alarm signals, or displayed on a display screen as described below.

[0045] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a monitoring device for pneumothorax according to another embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 7 As shown, in addition to the features described above, the device may also include a display screen 150. The display screen 150 may be a liquid crystal display, OLED display, LED display, e-ink display, etc., which can display various drainage process-related information determined by the image processing unit 132 and the first and second comparison circuits 136, 138, such as drainage volume, color, flow rate, patient intrapleural pressure (e.g., measured by a barometer placed on the drainage tube), and may also display patient-related information. In one embodiment, the display screen 150 may also be a touchscreen, used for setting or inputting information via touch, such as setting various alarm thresholds. Figure 7In the illustrated embodiment, the display screen 150 is located on the same side as the viewing window 121, next to it. In other embodiments, the display screen 150 may also be located on a different side from the viewing window 121. In one embodiment, as described above, the display screen 150 may also be separately provided from the frame 120, for example, a separate split display screen 150 is provided, which is connected to the processing circuitry 125 or 130 via cable or wirelessly to display the various drainage status information determined by the processing circuitry 125, 130 described above.

[0046] It should be understood that the monitoring device for pneumothorax according to this application may also include other circuits or modules. For example, it may include wired and / or wireless communication modules that can send treatment process status information to a centralized monitoring device at the nurses' station, the hospital's monitoring center, or the attending physician's personal computer or mobile phone, etc. These will not be described in detail here.

[0047] The above description describes a monitoring device for pneumothorax according to some embodiments of this application. It is understood that this device enables automatic monitoring of pneumothorax treatment and its status. Specifically, the device can monitor the drainage process, issue an alarm signal when the desired negative pressure level in the pleural cavity is reached to remind medical staff to end the drainage process, issue an alarm when the drainage fluid reaches the maximum capacity of the drainage bottle to remind medical staff to replace the drainage bottle in a timely manner, and can also convey various monitoring information to the patient and medical staff through, for example, a display screen. Therefore, the pneumothorax treatment and monitoring process can be automated, eliminating the need for medical staff to frequently check the drainage status and reducing their workload. Furthermore, the monitoring device for pneumothorax of this application adopts a separate design for the drainage bottle and frame, allowing for replacement of the drainage bottle while reusing the frame, thus significantly reducing device costs.

[0048] While this application has been described above with reference to exemplary embodiments, the scope of protection of this application is not limited to the embodiments described above. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications in form and detail can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of this application. The scope of this application is defined only by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A monitoring device for pneumothorax, characterized in that... include: A drainage bottle, comprising a bottle body and a bottle cap located at the upper part of the bottle body; A catheter extends vertically through the bottle cap, with its lower end extending to near the bottom of the bottle body and its upper end extending above the bottle cap and for connection to a drainage tube for draining fluid and / or gas from the patient's pleural cavity into the bottle body. A camera is mounted on one side of the drainage bottle to acquire images of the drainage bottle; An image processing unit is connected to the camera to receive the image, and processes the image to identify the liquid level in the conduit and the liquid level in the bottle, and generates a corresponding liquid level height data signal. as well as A signal processor, connected to the image processing unit, outputs the height difference between the liquid level in the conduit and the liquid level in the bottle based on the liquid level height data signals in the conduit and the bottle.

2. The monitoring device for pneumothorax as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A first comparison circuit is connected to the signal processor to receive the height difference, compare the height difference with a first threshold, and issue a first indication signal indicating the comparison result. as well as An alarm unit is connected to the first comparison circuit to receive the first indication signal and issue an alarm signal based on the first indication signal.

3. The monitoring device for pneumothorax as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The bottle cap also includes a vent hole, so that the air pressure inside the bottle is equal to atmospheric pressure.

4. The monitoring device for pneumothorax as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: A second comparison circuit, connected to the image processing unit, receives the height data signal of the liquid level in the bottle, compares the height value with a second threshold, and generates a second indication signal indicating the comparison result when the height value is greater than or equal to the second threshold. The alarm unit is also connected to the second comparison circuit to receive the second indication signal and to issue an alarm signal in response to the second indication signal.

5. The monitoring device for pneumothorax as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a frame for accommodating the drainage bottle, the frame having a bottom wall, a plurality of side walls surrounding an internal space for accommodating the drainage bottle, and a top wall covering the drainage bottle while exposing only the bottle cap, the camera being mounted on a first side wall of the plurality of side walls to capture images of a first side of the drainage bottle, and the camera being spaced a predetermined distance from the first side.

6. The monitoring device for pneumothorax as described in claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes one or more lighting devices disposed within the frame for illuminating the drainage bottle.

7. The monitoring device for pneumothorax as described in claim 5, characterized in that, An observation window is formed on the second sidewall of the frame adjacent to or opposite to the first sidewall, through which the capacity markings on the second side of the drainage bottle and the tubing in the drainage bottle are exposed.

8. The monitoring device for pneumothorax as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The bottom wall, multiple side walls, and top wall of the frame are all made of opaque material, and the observation window is covered with a one-way light-transmitting film, so that light inside the frame can be transmitted to the outside, while external light cannot enter the interior of the frame.

9. The monitoring device for pneumothorax as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The frame is generally rectangular.

10. The monitoring device for pneumothorax as described in claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes a display screen, which is disposed on one side wall of the frame or separately from the frame and connected to the image processing unit for displaying drainage status information determined by the image processing unit.

Images